Reducing the number of people injured by police dogs

Police Service Dog (PSD) bites are the leading cause of injury at the hands of municipal police in BC. After receiving complaints from a number of people who have been bitten, we began working toward significant reforms. Our goals are to hold police forces to account for unwarranted and unnecessary injuries, highlight the scope of the problem of accidental police dog attacks on bystanders, and change policies related to the use of dogs during arrests, including the implementation of body camera use by all police dog units across the province.

We are working alongside communities who have faced discriminatory interactions with the police, and advocating for an accountable system of policing that is responsive to the needs of marginalized communities. We are looking for opportunities to promote dialogue between communities and officers, and working to improve accountability and transparency, in order to reconcile and rebuild trust.

We invite you to join us in recognizing that we are on stolen lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. We are grateful to Indigenous Peoples for their continuous relationship with their lands and are committed to learning to work in solidarity as accomplices in shifting the colonial default.